In Spain, we like our fiestas. This Friday is Constitution Day and on Sunday is the Día de la Inmaculada, with an extra day off on Monday in Andalucía, Aragón, Asturias, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Murcia, La Rioja and Ceuta. A four-day weekend. For industry, this can mean two days lost, depending on the region, but for the tourist resorts, it means a well-needed boost. For our friends the traffic police, there will be five million cars on the roads to wave past with a cheery smile. Check to see when your local supermarket and bank is open.

I know I like it but I don't like it, but we prepare, second bank holiday since I been here , feel sorry for those that have to work on Saturday though, not

Jeez, please not another invasion from those bloody Madrilenos trying to get the hell out of their God forsaken city again.

Why can't they all just p!ss off up to Oviedo or somewhere, some say it's nice up that way at this time of the year.

It wont be that bad will it, this time of year ???, I guess you hope for a overcast weekend ?

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My birthday falls in the middle of this. We have always taken a short holiday but avoid Spain and go to Portugal were the 8th is also a holiday.
However it does not lead to the country closing down

This year of course I am avoiding Spain like the plague. fuel up in Gib and if necessary a splash in Portugal which only leaves the tolls on the Cadiz Seville stretch to pay money into the bandits coffers.Too much trouble to avoid them.

It has already started. The poor shopping trolley got a real battering in Mercadona and the rude people banging into it were Madrilenos, just like the ones who arrive in the summer months.

They should have been happy, the sun was shining for them, but they're always in such a hurry, I suppose like city people everywhere.

So why some regions got the Monday off and others do not?
Have they already used their "allocated" number of bank holidays, eg Valencia and Fallas??

I think the OP is rights as the Chronopost and the UPS guys were trying to explain to me, but surely for you everyday can be a day off no ?

although many places closed today, did manage to get the meat for the weekend as the butchers was open this morning

and their vans banged and clattered their way out of the garage opposite us at 0530 this morning

Don't know how all the Madrileños can be giving Dom´s town grief ... the centre of Madrid is packed today with shoppers, diners, drinkers etc. Unless the people from other towns like Dom´s have decided to visit the capital for the weekend..

Yes it's a disgrace all these Spaniards ruining Spain for the British they welcomed into their country

Sorry to disappoint you but actually it's other local Spaniards trying to enjoy their long weekends who are worst affected.
There's only a handful of Brits in this area, almost all retired, so most have the option of restricting their travel on long weekends and sitting back watching the chaos on TV before getting back to normal business when it's nice and quiet again.

So you were complaining on their behalf then?

Precisely.
I don't have a Brit expat living anywhere close to me.
Quite a few Spanish friends and neighbours here and under normal circumstances they like to get out and about and make the best of their weekends.

It is a national holiday: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Spain
so I guess it's a regional decision as to whether Monday is given off in lieu of a Sunday holiday.